Kids Safety Expo

Once a year in Pasco is a huge kids safety expo with all kinds of exhibits meant to teach kids different safety tips.  This year we were able to go with my dad and a couple of cousins visiting from Utah so that was fun.

Cut outs are always a hit with my kids.  We could pretend to be aliens.

Or doggies.  My girls begged me to get one of the dogs up for adoption.  They were super cute but I stayed strong.  No animals while I still have kids in diapers.

There were a lot of games for kids where they could win lots of little prizes.  This big Connect 4 was fun.

This was a neat way to try to teach kids some safety skills.  They used Disney movies to show that sometimes people try to manipulate us, including on the Internet, and we need to stand up for our rights.  I might try to use something like that in the future.

Some of the exhibits were just there to sell - like the house painting company that let kids paint rocks.  While the parents get the advertisements.

Being healthy and having fun being active.

There was this big foam toy area where kids could build cool structures.  Rachel made a huge one.

Riding on a "horse".  All my kids really liked this and didn't want to get down.

We watched the Big Top the Clown show.  Rachel was one of his helpers for one of his tricks.

And right when we were getting ready to leave they announced over intercom that all kids five and under could go on stage for a music time.  So Megan and I went up.  I think Megan was the oldest kid there but it was fun.

Anyway, we enjoyed the expo.  I could tell all the people that I lived in Hermiston and that is why I didn't want to sign up for their different programs.  The perfect excuse.  My kids had lots of fun and we came home with balloons and books and pencils and candy and all that good stuff.

Random

So Will and I recently joined the rest of the world and got smart phones.  I was trying to hold onto my flip phone as long as possible but it just wouldn't work after Adam dropped it in a wagon full of water.  Can you believe it?  Having these phones has meant that my children take a lot of random pictures.  So here we go at their most important "don' t you dare delete" pictures.

Whitney has learned how to take selfies.  A most important skill.

More selfies. 

And I have discovered a lot more pictures of our stuff.  See...stuff.

And we own a vacuum.  Important, huh?

These drawers are actually now forbidden.  The baby likes to pull out the pizza cutter and that seemed like a bad idea.  So there is now a broom handle stuck there. But we have drawers - impressive!

And this game.  I don't even have this game on my phone but a picture was taken of the ad.  And we shouldn't get rid of pictures.

One perk is that I can take more pictures of the baby.  So here is Hannah in all her glory.

Red ring pop - need I say more?

She learned how to climb the steps at Burger King.  And didn't want to come down.  

So it has been nice having a smart phone.  If only I could convince Adam it isn't a toy.

Finishing 2018!

So just a couple pictures to finish 2018.

Hannah's birthday is the day after Christmas.  She will probably hate it when she gets bigger but it worked out nicely this time.  We went to McDonald's for breakfast to meet up with one of my high school friends.  Hannah loved playing in the toys.

I made brownies and peanut butter frosting.  We had to keep the cake treat away from Hannah while singing.

She went to town with her brownie and ice cream.  There was a very messy girl when done.

Hannah had lots of practice opening presents from the day before. 

This phone present has been a hit - just not by its intended owner.  Adam has claimed this phone as his own and even calls it 'Johnny'. 

Then a few days went by and it was New Years Eve.  Will had to work during the day but we went to the stake family dance that evening.

Dancing with some friends from the ward.  It was super cute watching the girls dance with their friends.

So this was technically on New Years Day, but it is tradition for New Years Eve to play the candy bar game.  You roll dice and try to get doubles so you can get a candy bar and then hide yours so it won't be stolen.  Everyone had fun and got plenty of yummy candy.  Thanks for the fun game.

It is hard to believe that 2018 is over and we are well into 2019!  It was a great year.

A Very Merry Christmas!

We had a fabulous Christmas in Pasco.

My mom has a lot of Christmas decorations but this Santa is one of the favorites.

Great Grandpa puts a bunch of presents on the table and people get to take turns picking one.  The youngest get to go first.  Hannah was a fan of her huge jar of cheese balls.

Look at this cute family.

Stockings are always first on Christmas morning.  This time my mom wrote nice letters for everyone and put them in the stockings.  That was a nice surprise.

Present time!!

Megan loved her new panda bear.  I think it is called Rosie but the name keeps changing.

These toys have already been well loved.  I think they have all been tasted - just to be sure. 

Yummy Christmas dinner.  Hannah was enjoying her second "first" Christmas.  Jell-o is a funny thing.

Later on Christmas we acted out the Nativity story.  Can you tell who everyone is?
It was a great Christmas.  Thanks to my parents for always hosting it.  We love you.

Pre-Christmas

Once again, I am a little behind.  Here are a couple pictures from pre-Christmas activities.

I took the kids to the library for their Christmas party.  Mrs. Clause came to read a story.  Hannah was not in the mood to sit in her lap.

They had some crafts for the kids.  Everyone loved making Fruit Loop necklaces ( I am still not sure how Christmas-y it was).

We decided as a family to go look at the beautiful Christmas lights around Hermiston.

I thought this on someone's garage was kind of cool.

We tried our hand at making gingerbread houses with graham crackers and frosting and lots of candy.  It tasted yummy but the houses kept breaking.  So I will need to have a new plan if we decide to do this again next year.

We went on a Journey to Bethlehem.  I always enjoy that.  Poor Adam got bit by a sheep though.

The reason for the season.

We went to grandma's house a couple of days before Christmas.  The kids really liked making ornaments.

And we went caroling to several houses.  So lots of fun traditions at Christmas time.